When Cooler Heads Prevail

By Hayley Corbett, Discovery Senior Living

Winter is a season of surprises, and there’s no denying it – it’s tough on everyone. The jubilance of the holiday season comes and goes, replaced with the harshness of busy schedules, never ending chores, and unpredictable weather. On top of having to deal with the freezing weather itself, add the stress of either being homebound or having to shovel snow on top of your daily chores and you can see how the “winter blues” can turn into Seasonal Affective Disorder if not tended to. One of the best things you can do, then, is take a mental health day.

Relaxing at home can be greatly underestimated in today’s fast-paced environment, but it’s all the more important for those of us who are aging and are increasingly focused on our health. Relaxation is one of the keys to consistently good health, with numerous benefits including:

• Lowering your heart rate.
• Stabilizing blood pressure and breathing rate.
• Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain.
• Improving concentration and mood.
• Decreasing fatigue.
• Relieving anger and frustration.
• Boosting confidence to handle problems.

There are lots of things you can do to engage your mind and body without putting unnecessary stress on yourself. Read a great book, increase social interactions with friends and family by hosting or attending a party, and stay active with exciting fitness programs (seek out low impact activities if you haven’t exercised in a while).

If you’re ready to ditch the household chores and outdoor maintenance living on your own entails, and living in close proximity to friends with free time available to enjoy yourselves sounds good to you, then it may be time to consider learning more about what senior living communities offer. Any good senior living community will offer housekeeping and maintenance, but the best ones are elevating their lifestyle programs even more, to not only offer these services but include them without any additional fees. If you think about it, it really makes sense and should be a no-brainer across the board. A relaxed individual has more time to enjoy the amenities that modern senior living communities offer, and after all, isn’t that the point?

At The Summit, we give you your time back! For more information or to schedule a tour, please call us at 302-635-9024 to speak with a Senior Lifestyle Counselor, visit us at 5850 Limestone Road, Hockessin, DE 19707, or go to www.thesummitretirement.com.